Lauretta

Part mission report, part memoir, the book tells the story of how two ancient carbon atoms — one on Bennu, one entangled in the genetic code of Dr. Lauretta — find each other again.

After dropping off the sample, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft continued its voyage through the solar system, and Dr. Lauretta handed off the keys.

For Dante Lauretta, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona and the mission leader, retrieving the sample spelled the end of an era.

Since the mission began in 2016, Dr. Lauretta has been immersed in all things OSIRIS-REx.

Lauretta Charlton, an editor, looks back on moving to Seoul during the coronavirus pandemic and watching The Times open a digital newsroom in the city.